


Black Cat in the Moonlight

by TheLegendOfChel



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Supernatural Elements, Catboys & Catgirls, First Dates, Halloween, Halloween Costumes, Kid Fic, Kinda, M/M, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, Trick or Treating, Were-Creatures, Werecats, Witch Lance (Voltron), coran is a werewolf not a swearwolf, they're babysitting does that count??, werecat keith, which is kind of a spoiler but now you can search the tag
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-31
Updated: 2019-10-31
Packaged: 2020-12-21 14:07:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,210
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21076136
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheLegendOfChel/pseuds/TheLegendOfChel
Summary: Helping Lance trick-or-treat with his niece and nephew isn’t what Keith expected for their first date, but that’s okay. Nadia and Sylvio are adorable, and Keith is happy to spend more time with Lance before they go to Allura’s Halloween party.That said, he’d be a lot happier if it wasn’t a full moon.





	Black Cat in the Moonlight

**Author's Note:**

> Happy Halloween! (˼●̙̂ ̟ ̟̎ ̟ ̘●̂˻)

Keith trudged into the college library. He'd been up since the crack of dawn thanks to an early morning class, and wanted nothing more than to take a nap. Unfortunately, that wasn't an option at the moment, so Keith plopped down at an empty table and leaned over to bury his face in his arms while he waited for his study partner. 

Just as it felt like he was about to nod off, Keith felt a patch of warmth touch his forearm, accompanied by a heavenly aroma. Keith lifted his head to find a cup depicting the campus cafe logo placed in front of him.

"Hey, man," Lance greeted as he sat down. "Sorry I'm late but I figured you might need that."

"I owe you my firstborn child," Keith said.

He picked up the cup with both hands and took a long sip, warmed by both the drink and Lance's laughter. It had just the right amount of cream and sugar, and Keith couldn't help but feel pleased that Lance remembered how he took his coffee.

"Just help me figure out these equations and we'll call it even," Lance said with a wink.

Keith nodded and they got to work. The two had known each other for a few years now, since they were in the same astrophysics program. At first they hadn't gotten along. Lance made it his mission throughout their freshman year to beat Keith, who was at the top of their class by a wide margin. Keith was just as hotheaded and competitive as Lance, and met his challenge with gusto. They caused endless headaches for their friends and teachers alike until one night at a party Pidge and Hunk got tired of their shit and locked them in a room together to talk things out.

It went about as well as you'd expect at first. Keith and Lance sat on opposite sides of the room in stubborn silence for nearly an hour before the sheer boredom became too much. They started to talk, mostly complaining about their traitorous friends, then their less savory professors, then that dickhead James Griffin who always spoke up in class when nobody asked, until finally they were chatting like they'd known each other for years.

Keith figured it was a one-off thing, but Lance sat next to him in class the following day and picked their conversation right back up. It was a little baffling but they'd been friends ever since.

Then more recently, things started to...shift. Lance was a flirt by nature, but lately he'd been acting particularly so, and only to Keith. At least, Keith thought he was. Even now, he sat closer to Keith than necessary, using research as an excuse when they brushed hands or when Lance reached around Keith to grab a book, close enough for Keith to catch the faintest hint of cologne, a knowing glint in his blue eyes.

Keith wasn't as well versed in the ways of romance as Lance was, but when he did feel confident enough to flirt back, he always got a small thrill at Lance's reaction.

Feeling some of that confidence, Keith leaned in so that their arms pressed together. Glancing up through his eyelashes, Keith saw that while Lance was still looking at his textbook, a small blush had bloomed across his cheeks.

Keith smiled and turned back to his work.

They studied for a couple more hours until the sun began to set. Keith checked the time.

“I’d better get going,” he said, gathering up his notes. “I promised Shiro I’d help with dinner tonight. See you in class?”

“Uh, actually, I was wondering,” Lance rubbed the back of his neck. “Are you going to Allura’s Halloween party?”

Keith’s heart skipped a beat. Could this be what he thought it was?

“I haven’t decided yet,” he answered.

“Oh, well,” Lance cleared his throat, a blush on his cheeks, “would you like to go with me?”

“Like...as a date?” Keith asked cautiously.

Lance’s blush deepened, but he nodded. “Yeah.”

Keith felt his own face start to heat up. With a small smile, he nodded.

“I’d love to.”

He was rewarded with a dazzling grin so bright Keith had trouble looking directly at it.

“Great!” Lance said. “Is nine okay? I’d pick you up earlier, but I have to take my niece and nephew trick-or-treating first.”

“What a dedicated uncle,” Keith teased.

“Nah, I lost a bet with my brother,” Lance laughed. “But I don’t mind. I love the little goobers, and it’s been years since I last went trick-or-treating.”

“I’ve never been.”

Lance’s smile froze. He stared at Keith like he'd just told Lance a jack-o'-lantern murdered his family.

“What do you mean you’ve never been?!” Lance finally screeched.

Taken aback, Keith merely shrugged. 

“Okay, change of plans,” Lance grabbed Keith by the shoulders. “I’ll pick you up at seven and you’re going trick-or-treating with us. Then we’ll go to the party.”

“Uhhh, okay,” Keith agreed, somewhat dazed by the proximity of Lance’s eyes.

“Great!” Lance’s serious expression vanished, replaced by another bright grin. “I’ll see you Friday night!”

Nodding, Keith waved goodbye as Lance bounded out of the library. He stood in place for a long moment.

Slowly, a small smile spread across his face

\-----

“You look happy,” Shiro noted later that night. “Did something happen?”

Keith twirled pasta around his fork. “Lance asked me out on a date.”

Shiro’s eyebrows rose. “Well, it’s about time one of you made a move.”

"Shut up," Keith rolled his eyes.

"I'm serious," Shiro said. "Pidge and I were talking about locking you two in a room again, but Matt pointed out the result could be infinitely more gross than last time."

While Keith chucked his spoon at Shiro, Adam asked, “When is your date?”

“Friday. We’re gonna trick-or-trick with his niece and nephew, and then we’re going to Allura’s party.”

Shiro and Adam grew still. Keith tried to not squirm under their stare.

“I know it’s a little weird to be babysitting on a first date, but I don’t mind,” he assured them.

The two older men exchanged a look.

“Keith,” Shiro said slowly, “you do remember that Halloween is on a full moon this year, right?”

It was Keith’s turn to pause. He set down his fork and dropped his head into his hands with a groan.

“I didn’t even think about that,” he said. “Fuck.”

“You could say something came up,” Shiro suggested.

“On Halloween?” Keith frowned. “He’ll think I ditched him.”

“You could tell him you’re sick,” Adam said. 

“Maybe, but,” Keith bit his lip, “I really want to go on this date.”

The two older men traded another look. Shiro quirked an eyebrow at Adam, and Adam shrugged with a faint smirk. Keith glanced between them suspiciously.

“What?”

“There might be one way you can still go out,” Shiro answered slowly.

“Really?” Keith perked up. “How?”

“Like you said,” Adam drawled, “it’s Halloween.”

Though humans themselves, Shiro and Adam were two of the few people who knew Keith’s secret. Keith had known both of them for years, and trusted them with his life. 

Upon seeing their matching grins, however, Keith started to have second thoughts about trusting them with his love life.

\-----

“This is stupid.”

“C’mon, it’s the perfect cover,” Shiro said. “You needed a costume for the party anyway.”

“Yeah, but does it have to be so...” Keith grimaced. “Slutty?”

“It’s a catboy costume, Keith,” Shiro rolled his eyes. “Relax, Lance will love it.”

“If you say so,” Keith sighed, resigning himself to his fate.

Keith eyed his reflection. Despite his complaints, it did look good. The fishnet stockings made his legs look longer and paler than usual, and the black shorts fit like they were painted on. A red crop top fell loosely over a long-sleeved mesh shirt that was practically see through. Keith outright refused to wear the high heels since he’d be walking around the neighborhood for two hours, but thankfully his black combat boots fit the image nicely. A black choker with a gold bell completed the ensemble.

He had to admit, combined with his newly acquired cat ears, tail, slitted pupils, and fangs, it really did look like a costume, albeit a sexier one than he would have liked.

“Where did you even get this stuff?” Keith asked.

Shiro averted his gaze with a cough. “Don’t worry about it.”

Keith eyed him suspiciously but dropped the subject. He decided he didn’t want to know.

“And you’re sure it’s not too...inappropriate for trick-or-treating with small children?”

After a moment of hesitation, Shiro shrugged. “It’ll probably be fine.”

“Very reassuring.”

The doorbell rang, followed by Adam shouting, “Keith, Lance is here!”

Keith took a deep breath.

“Wish me luck,” he said.

Shiro smiled and gave Keith’s shoulder a squeeze. “Good luck.”

Keith walked downstairs to find Lance chatting with Adam. Two children stood next to him.

“Hey, Lance,” Keith said.

“Hey-” Lance turned to greet Keith and froze, his eyes going huge.

A small pang of satisfaction coiled in Keith’s chest when Lance’s gaze slowly swept over Keith’s outfit, cheeks turning pink as blue eyes seemed to drink Keith in from head to toe. 

Lance opened his mouth, closed it, cleared his throat, and opened it again.

“Hey,” he finally said again.

“Hey,” Keith repeated, amused. “You gonna introduce me?”

Blinking, Lance looked down at the two children like he had forgotten they were there.

“Oh, uh, yeah, of course,” Lance said. “This is my niece, Nadia, and my nephew, Sylvio.”

The little girl raised her foam replica of Mjölnir, 

“I am the Mighty Thor!” Nadia proclaimed.

Keith’s lips curled into a grin at the adorable display. 

"Nice to meet you, Thor," he said. "Please don't summon lightning inside my house. I just cleaned."

"I'll try not to," she said.

Keith turned to Sylvio, who wore a pink shirt with a star on the front, jeans, and flip flops. “Steven Universe?”

“Yeah!” Sylvio nodded eagerly, his brown curls bouncing up and down. 

“Great job,” Keith complimented. “You both look awesome.”

The kids beamed up at him. Shiro came down the stairs.

"You guys are still here? Better hurry, or all the candy will be gone," he teased.

Nadia and Sylvio gasped. They stared up at Lance who rolled his eyes.

"There will still be candy, don't worry," he said. "But we should get going if we wanna make it back for the party later."

They all said their goodbyes to Shiro and Adam and were on their way. 

Lance insisted that the best candy was on Arus Avenue, so they set off in that direction. As Nadia and Sylvio rushed ahead, Lance and Keith walked side-by-side at a more leisurely pace.

“So,” Lance finally said. “A catboy, huh?”

Keith blushed. “I had to find a costume on short notice. What’s your excuse?”

Lance gasped dramatically. “Harry Potter is a classic.”

Keith eyed the shittily drawn lightning bolt scar, chunky plastic glasses, and cheap Gryffindor robes before giving Lance an unimpressed look.

“You definitely bought that at an overpriced Halloween store,” he said flatly.

Lance’s pout transformed into a grin. “Can’t say the same about you. For a last minute costume, I'm impressed. These look weirdly real.”

He reached out to touch one of Keith’s ears. Thankfully, Keith’s reflexes were higher than usual tonight, so he was able to quickly jerk back.

“...Sorry,” Keith said at Lance’s startled expression. “They’re, uh, really hard to put on, so I don’t want to risk them falling off.”

“Oh,” Lance lowered his hand. “Sorry, man.”

“It’s okay.”

They continued walking, the silence turned somewhat awkward. Keith supposed it was a small price to pay for keeping his secret. 

Soon enough, they made it to Arus Avenue, and all thoughts about the close call were quickly forgotten. House after house was decorated to the nines, the front lawns covered with fake gravestones, jack-o’-lanterns, and other spooky decor. Dozens of children in costumes walked door to door, many in groups supervised by a tired but happy adult.

Lance grinned down at Nadia and Sylvio. “Where do you wanna start?”

The two kids examined the closest houses with critical eyes. Finally, Nadia pointed to one with a large blow-up ghost floating in front. 

“That one,” she said firmly. Sylvio nodded.

“Looks good to me,” Lance replied. “Lead the way, Thor.”

Nadia charged ahead, her brother at her heels. Flashing Keith a grin, Lance grabbed his hand and raced after them. Keith hurried to keep up, anxiety replaced by trying not to think about how warm Lance’s hand was in his own.

Nadia rang the doorbell, and an older woman dressed as a vampire answered.

“Trick or treat!” Nadia and Sylvio sang.

“Well, aren’t you two precious,” the woman cooed while she tossed a handful of candy into their bags. 

The kids thanked her before rushing to the next house. Their chaperons followed, Lance excitedly pointing out the elaborate graveyard on the front lawn. Keith nodded, but had trouble appreciating the decorations because Lance still hadn’t let go of his hand.

“Trick or treat!” Nadia and Sylvio said again.

The owners of the house, two women that didn’t look all that much older than Keith and Lance, grinned down at them.

“Uh oh, a pair of superheroes,” gasped the one dressed as Harley Quinn, complete with a Brooklyn accent. “We promise we haven’t been causing trouble. Will you let us go in exchange for chocolate?”

Nadia and Sylvio traded a look and nodded solemnly. The woman dressed as Poison Ivy dropped several bite-sized candy bars into their bags.

Before they left, Harley waved Keith and Lance closer.

“Here’s some for you too,” she winked, giving them each a chocolate kiss. “We cute couples have to stick together.”

Heat flooded to Keith’s face. He glanced over at Lance, and braced for the other man to correct her. Sure, they were on a date, but that didn’t mean they were a couple. Not officially, at least. Lance however, merely winked back.

“Thanks!” he chirped.

They followed Nadia and Sylvio for a few more houses in companionable silence. Just as Keith’s heart seemed to have finally calmed down, Lance suddenly tugged Keith closer.

“W-what?” Keith asked, startled by Lance’s bespectacled eyes suddenly being inches from his own. The moon, which had been partially covered by clouds up until now, bathed Lance in an ethereal light.

Lance intense stare brightened. 

“Where did you get those contacts?” he asked. “I couldn’t tell earlier because it was dark, but they’re the exact same color as your eyes.”

“Oh, um,” Keith fumbled for an answer, “I had them custom made.”

“I thought you said this costume was last minute?”

“It was,” Keith desperately grasped for anything his brain could think of. “I, uh, had these already from a different costume and just used them again.”

“Oh,” Lance said, “that’s lucky.”

“Uh huh.”

“What kind of costume was it?”

“Um, a demon.”

“Nice,” Lance grinned. “You’ll have to show me some time. I bet you make an adorable demon.”

“Sure,” Keith smiled back weakly. 

He made a mental note to run to the Halloween store before they closed up shop.

Seeing the kids had gone off ahead, the two started walking again. Keith peeked up from beneath his eyelashes to admire Lance’s handsome profile. Blue eyes caught his gaze, and Keith quickly looked down at the ground. However, his embarrassment soon abated when Lance’s fingers intertwined with his and squeezed, giving Keith the courage to look back up. They shared a soft smile.

### 

The next couple of hours passed without much incident. While Nadia and Sylvio went door to door and collected an ever growing hoard of sweets, Lance and Keith chatted behind them. It was so much fun, Keith almost forgot about the full moon shining down on them until a young girl dressed as Dorothy from The Wizard of Oz walked by, and the dog in her arms started barking at Keith.

Reacting purely on instinct, Keith whipped around and hissed. The dog halted its yapping with a small whimper as the girl scurried away.

Keith realized what he’d done. Mortified, he risked a peek at Lance, heat flooding his face. As soon as their eyes met, Lance burst out laughing.

“What the hell was that?” Lance cackled.

“Uhhh,” Keith hunched his shoulders up. “I have allergies?”

Before Lance could reply, Nadia and Sylvio ran up to him.

“Tío Lance!” Sylvio pouted. “They were out of candy.”

“Aw, I’m sorry, bud,” Lance patted his nephew’s head. “We’ll just have to try the next house.”

“But this is the house that was giving out those giant lollipops,” Nadia complained.

“Tío Lance, couldn’t you just...you know,” Sylvio rubbed a finger underneath his nose.

“Uhh,” Lance looked from his nephew over to Keith, who stared back blankly. “I’m not doing anything that’ll get us in trouble. You’ve got plenty of other candy anyway.”

The two kids stuck out their bottom lips and made puppy dog eyes up at him. Lance sighed.

“Why don’t you go ask one more time? Maybe they found another bag of them.”

The twin pouts vanished in the blink of an eye, and they raced back to the house. Keith raised an eyebrow at Lance.

“You really think they’ll just find more lollipops?”

Lance shrugged. “Doesn’t hurt to check, right?”

“I guess.” Keith squinted at Lance. “Are you okay?”

“What do you mean?”

“I dunno, your nose was being all twitchy. It was weird.”

“Um, excuse you,” Lance huffed. “My nose isn’t weird. It’s adorable.”

He was right, but Keith wasn’t about to tell him that.

“Tío Lance, look!” Nadia ran back towards them, waving a giant swirly rainbow lollipop triumphantly in the air.

“That’s great, Nadia!” Lance grinned. “See, what did I tell ya?”

“You were right,” she nodded. “Thanks, Tío Lance!”

Keith stared at the brightly colored confectionary. “How…?”

“Anyway,” Lance cleared his throat, adjusting his Harry Potter glasses the way Keith often saw Pidge do with hers, “now that you have your loot, are you ready to head home?”

“Aww, do we have to?” Sylvio asked.

“It’s almost nine, guys,” Lance said. “You got plenty of candy, and Keith and I have places to be.”

After a bit more convincing, they started walking back. A breeze swept through the night, causing Keith to shiver. Maybe wearing booty shorts and a crop top in late October hadn't been the best idea.

"Are you cold?" Lance asked. 

Without waiting for an answer, he took off his Gryffindor robes and set them over Keith's shoulders. They were surprisingly warm despite the thin material.

Keith slipped his arms into the sleeves and hugged the robes closer. "Thanks."

"Anytime."

"Aren't you cold now?" Keith asked.

"Nah, unlike some people, I dressed appropriately for the weather," Lance replied with a teasing grin.

"I told you," Keith grumbled, "this was all I could find on short notice."

"Hey, I'm not complaining," Lance said. "You look super hot."

Keith blinked, then ducked his head to hide a pleased smile. "Oh."

"Plus, it gives me an excuse to do romantic shit like this," Lance laughed.

Nadia looked over her shoulder. "Tío Lance, you have to put a dollar in the swear jar."

"Oops," Lance said. "Uh, do you take payment in M&Ms?"

Nadia and Sylvio graciously accepted the candy Lance threw into their already overflowing bags.

"Don't tell your mom."

Since Keith's house was on the way to the McClains', they stopped so he could grab a jacket and give Lance his costume back. Shiro and Adam had since donned their own costumes, much to the children's delight.

"Thor, thank goodness you're here!" Adam said, hands on his hips as he stood tall in full Captain America regalia. "Doctor Doom is trying to take over the world again! Bucky and I are on a mission to stop him, but we could use your assistance. Are you up to it?"

"Yeah!" Nadia shouted, holding Mjölnir aloft.

"Can I help too?" Sylvio asked eagerly.

"Of course," Shiro nodded. Keith tried not to laugh when he realized Shiro had wrapped his prosthetic arm in aluminum foil. "You've saved the galaxy too, after all."

"What do we do?"

"Doctor Doom has unleashed an army of robots in Central Park," Adam said. "The only way to stop him," he paused dramatically, "is to eat this whole plate of cookies."

Keith wasn't sure what cookies had to do with evil robots, but the kids seemed more than happy to comply. The four superheroes, plus Lance who claimed to have saved the wizarding world, wolfed down snickerdoodles and chocolate chip cookies while Keith ran upstairs to grab his black leather jacket.

When he returned, Lance took one look at him and started choking. Keith rushed to get him a glass of water while Sylvio cheerfully slapped Lance on the back.

"You okay?" Keith asked once Lance finished chugging the water.

"No, I am not okay," Lance slammed the glass onto the table and gestured at Keith. "How are you hotter with _ more _ clothes on?!"

Blinking, Keith felt heat rise to his cheeks. He tried to ignore Shiro's shit-eating grin behind Lance.

"Um, don't we have a party to get to?" Keith muttered.

Adam gave Nadia and Sylvio two goody bags filled with more cookies and they were on their way. They dropped the kids off at home, Keith promising to visit again soon, and started walking towards Allura's house. 

Keith glanced up from the corner of his eye. Oh so casually, he brushed the back of his knuckles against Lance's. Without looking, Lance took Keith's hand and threaded their fingers together. 

Hiding a small smile, Keith sidled closer. He had to make a conscious effort to stop his tail from swishing happily through the air.

A few blocks later, Allura answered the door with a large grin.

"Lance! Keith! I'm so glad you made it!" Allura said. "Your costumes are adorable."

"Thanks, yours is great too," Lance said. Keith nodded in agreement.

Allura placed one hand on her hip and brought the other up to her forehead for Sailor Moon's signature pose.

They followed her into the living room, which was already filled with several guests. No matter how many times he visited, Keith was always blown away by how big and fancy Allura's house was. Fake cobwebs hung down from the chandeliers and the walls were covered with Halloween decorations. Upbeat music blasted from a speaker hidden in a corner of the room, and a laser disco ball cast small dots of light everywhere.

"Help yourself to the drinks and snacks," she gestured. "At midnight there will be a costume contest, so stay for that if you can."

So many dots. All of them just asking to be pounced on.

"Wouldn't miss it," Lance replied. "Right, Keith?"

"Huh?" Keith tore his gaze away from the wall. "Oh, uh, yeah."

Lance shot him an odd look. "You okay, man? Your eyes look kinda weird."

"I'm fine," Keith said. "I was just, uh, admiring the cool decorations. It looks awesome."

"Thank you!" Allura smiled. "Coran did most of it. Romelle and I tried to help, but I think we just got in the way."

She waved over to Romelle who stood by the punch bowl. Romelle raised her cup in acknowledgement, the red plastic at odds with her authentic looking Princess Zelda outfit.

They chatted with Allura for a few more minutes before she had to go answer the door again. Keith and Lance wandered over to the long banquet table covered in food.

Armed with plates full of snacks, they waded into the crowd to mingle. Keith was relieved that Lance stuck by his side. He’d never been much of a party goer, and his current condition didn’t make things any easier.

They found Pidge and Matt first. Pidge was dressed up as the Surprised Pikachu meme, but Keith wasn't sure what Matt was supposed to be. He wore a grey hoodie, shorts, a backpack, and had some sort of green stick. When questioned, Matt struck a pose and shouted, "I have the power of God and anime on my side!" 

Keith still didn't get it, but Lance thought it was hilarious.

Hunk arrived next. His costume was one of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, though Keith wasn’t familiar enough with the franchise to know which one. Coran suddenly popped up with bared fangs and claws, successfully startling Hunk, who accidentally stomped on Coran’s foot. Coran let out a litany of curses. Once he had recovered, the older man waved Hunk’s apologies away and offered one of his own for both the scare and the language.

“I’m a werewolf, not a swearwolf,” he told them sagely.

Shiro and Adam showed up and gleefully joined a group of other various comic book superheroes, including Lotor who was dressed as Loki. Keith pictured him posing side-by-side with Nadia and almost snorted punch out of his nose.

Eventually, Lance and Keith got tired and moved over to a little nook where a handful of couches and chairs were placed tastefully by the fireplace.

Flopping down onto an empty loveseat, Lance rested his arm along the back with an inviting smile. Keith tucked himself into the empty space and Lance’s arm dropped down across Keith’s shoulders, bringing him even closer.

Pressed against Lance’s side, Keith could feel his warmth like a furnace. A part of his brain told Keith how nice it would feel to drape himself over Lance’s lap and fall asleep, but he shook the thought away. Not only would doing such a thing be weird on a first date, but they were still surrounded by other people. The moon must have reached its zenith, warping Keith’s mind with feline desires. 

Keith tried to distract himself by admiring the flowers on the coffee table. They were a little wilted, but still lovely to look at, and gave off a faintly pleasant aroma that Keith’s sensitive nose caught beneath the layers of sugar and alcohol. 

He resisted the sudden urge to push the vase off the table.

Between the roaring fire and Lance’s body heat, Keith was soon forced to take his leather jacket off, a self-satisfied smirk on his lips when Lance stared at the skin on display once more. They sat and talked until Keith noticed his cup was empty. Seeing that Lance’s was as well, Keith offered to get them refills.

“Thanks, Kitten,” Lance said with a wink.

Keith rolled his eyes but had to fight down a blush on the way back to the beverage table. While he poured more spiked punch, someone cleared their throat. Keith looked up to find James Griffin standing next to him.

“If you want Lance to take a group photo with you, you should ask him yourself,” Keith said.

James blinked, his serious expression replaced by confusion. “What?”

Keith waved at James’ costume. “You’re Draco Malfoy, right? I figured you wanted me to get Lance to be in a picture with you and your friends.”

James looked back behind him to where Rizavi, Kinkade, and Leifsdottir were gathered together, all dressed as Harry Potter characters. He turned back to Keith.

“Uh, no, that wasn’t what I wanted to ask,” James said. “Like, at all. No offense, but we actually put effort into our costumes.”

Keith glanced over at Lance, who seemed to be fiddling with the flowers on the coffee table. As much as he wanted to defend his date, Keith couldn’t deny that Lance's costume was pretty cheap looking, whereas James’ Slytherin robes looked like they came straight out of the movies. Keith vaguely remembered Kinkade talking about how their group liked to cosplay and wondered if James made the outfit himself.

“So then what did you want?” Keith asked.

James hesitated. He glanced back at his friends who each shot him a thumbs up, and turned back to Keith.

“Um, I just wanted to tell you I like your costume,” James said, a faint blush on his cheeks. “You, uh, look really good.”

“Oh,” Keith blinked. “Thanks. You too.”

“Thanks,” James nodded.

They stood there awkwardly for a moment. Keith jerked a thumb at Lance.

“I’m gonna…”

“Oh, right,” James cleared his throat and nodded again. “Nice seeing you.”

Keith offered him a small smile and walked back to the loveseat. He didn’t see James’ friends facepalming behind him.

“What did Griffin want?” Lance asked as he accepted his drink.

“He complimented me on my costume,” Keith replied.

“Oh, did he now?” Lance squinted at James suspiciously.

James, now perusing the desert table, noticed Lance’s stink eye and flipped him off. Lance stuck his tongue out at him.

Rolling his eyes, Keith sat down. He looked over at the flower vase and blinked. Was it his imagination, or did the flowers look...healthier than before? More vibrant?

Maybe Keith had had too much to drink.

He was pulled from his thoughts when Lance slung an arm over his shoulders. At Keith’s questioning look, Lance quickly smiled.

“Matt said he was gonna set up a beer pong table in the game room. You in?”

“Sure,” Keith shrugged. “I’m not very good.”

James began walking towards his friends, a large piece of chocolate cake in hand.

“That’s okay,” Lance grinned, absentmindedly tugging at his own earlobe. “I’m a pro at it.”

“I’ll believe that when I see it.”

Crossing in front of them, James suddenly tripped over the hem of his robes and fell face first onto the floor with a yelp. His plate soared up into the air and landed smack dab on top of Keith’s head.

“Holy crow!” Lance yelped. “Keith, are you okay? I’m so sorry!”

“What are you sorry for?” Keith grumbled, trying to wipe the frosting out of his eyes. 

“Uhhh…”

“Oh my goodness!” Allura rushed over. “Are you two alright?”

“Sorry, Keith,” James said, his blond wig askew as Rizavi and Kinkade helped him to his feet. “I don’t know what happened.”

“I’m fine,” Keith waved their concern away. “Just glad Allura went with paper plates instead of her family’s fine china.”

Allura’s lips twitched into a smile. “Let’s get you cleaned up.”

She led Keith to an opulent bathroom, promising to return soon with a change of clothes. Keith stripped off the crop top and mesh shirt, and turned on the sink. He hoped Shiro didn’t need them back in mint condition. At least his leather jacket was safe. 

By the time he’d gotten most of the chunks of cake out of his hair, a soft knock sounded from the door.

“Come in,” Keith said.

Lance poked his head inside.

“Hey,” he said. “I brought you a new shirt.”

He tried not to feel self conscious as Lance walked into the room. Sure, he was half naked, but to be fair it wasn’t like the shirt he’d been wearing before covered much in the first place. That’s what Keith tried to tell himself, anyway.

“Here you go,” Lance said, his cheeks just as pink as Keith’s.

“Thanks,” Keith said. 

He gratefully tugged on the large sweater. It was soft and fluffy and smelled faintly like Allura’s perfume.

“No problem,” Lance said. “Oh, you missed a spot.”

Before Keith could stop him, Lance reached up to pluck a piece of cake from his hair. Warm fingers brushed against Keith’s ear and they both froze.

Shit. Could Keith still play this off somehow? Pretend his cat ears were just weirdly realistic?

“Um…”

“I knew it!” Lance crowed, pointing an accusing finger at Keith.

Keith went slightly cross-eyed as he blinked down at it. 

“...Huh?”

“I knew you were a Creature!” Lance said. “You never took any night classes, so I thought maybe you were a werebeast, or some kind of, like, reverse vampire.”

“Reverse vampire?” Keith repeated incredulously. “That’s not even a thing!”

“You don’t know that,” Lance shot back. “The Creature community is diverse and ever changing.”

Keith’s retort caught in his throat.

“How do you know about Creatures?” Keith’s eyes widened. “Are you also…?”

A sly smirk grew across Lance’s face. “Mayyyybe.”

A million tiny details flashed through Keith’s mind. The way Lance always seemed to have whatever small thing someone needed, like a pencil or a hair tie, even when he himself had no use for it. How the house Nadia and Sylvio visited mysteriously found more lollipops. How the wilting flowers seemed to perk up after being in Lance’s presence.

Keith looked at Lance’s shitty Harry Potter costume.

“Please don’t tell me you’re a wizard.”

“See, now that’s a common misconception,” Lance replied cheerfully. “‘Witch’ is actually a gender neutral term.”

“So...you can do magic?” Keith asked.

Lance twitched his nose from side-to-side. Keith looked down to find Allura’s pale pink sweater had turned a pretty lilac.

“Woah.”

“That’s nothing,” Lance smirked. “Watch this.”

He flipped the lightswitch so that only the pale moon illuminated them. Keith watched as Lance rubbed his palms together, then cupped his hands and blew into the space between them. He threw his hands into the air, and a shower of tiny sparkling lights filled the room.

“It’s beautiful,” Keith breathed.

Lance scrubbed a bashful hand through his already messy hair.

“...I now realize a bathroom probably wasn’t the most romantic place to show off that trick.”

Keith shrugged. “To be fair, this bathroom is fancier than my entire house.”

“Yeah, mine too,” Lance laughed.

Keith stared at Lance’s smile, lit up by the soft moonlight and the twinkling stars he’d created just to impress Keith. Eyelids falling shut, Keith leaned in closer, as if an invisible force was drawing him to Lance.

Lance pressed his fingertips to Keith’s lips, halting him. Keith blinked.

“Ah, sorry,” Lance said, his face oddly flushed. “It’s just...I refuse to let our first kiss be in a bathroom, no matter how fancy it is.”

Keith blinked again and stepped back with a chuckle. 

“That’s fair,” he said. “Where would you like it to be?”

That beautiful smile lit up once more.

\-----

They said their goodbyes and left the party. Allura gave Keith’s sweater an odd look, but didn’t seem to pinpoint exactly what was wrong with it.

Hand-in-hand, the two walked towards the local park. It was late enough that most people had finished trick-or-treating, and the park itself was empty. 

Shooting Keith a wink, Lance conjured a broomstick.

They flew up into the sky. Plastered against Lance’s back, Keith stared in wonder at the town below. Lance glided smoothly through the clouds, ascending higher and higher until it felt like Keith could touch the moon if he wanted to. 

“Doing okay?” Lance asked over his shoulder.

“Yeah,” Keith replied breathlessly. “This is amazing!”

Lance’s grin turned sharp. “Think you might be up for something a little more exciting?”

And well, Keith was never one to back down from a challenge.

He hugged Lance’s waist tightly as they gained speed. With practiced grace, Lance bobbed and weaved through the air, and Keith let out an excited laugh when they did a loop-the-loop.

Eventually, they touched down on a large hill that overlooked the town. Lance wiggled his nose and a picnic blanket appeared on the grass. Laying side-by-side, Lance and Keith huddled close to stargaze.

Lance must have cast some kind of spell, because Keith didn’t feel cold at all, now or when they were flying. Instead, he only felt warm.

Warm, as he turned his head to study the handsome profile of Lance’s face.

Warm, as Lance’s fingers intertwined with his own.

Warm, as Lance met his gaze, his blue eyes impossibly soft with affection.

Those eyes drew closer and closer until finally their lips met. The kiss was slow and gentle and everything Keith had ever wanted. 

And he couldn’t wait for more.

\-----

On the next full moon, Lance came over to Keith’s house. They lounged on Keith’s bed to watch TV, and Keith finally got to curl up on Lance’s lap.

“Are you...purring?” Lance asked.

“...It won’t stop.”

“That’s okay,” Lance grinned, looking way more delighted than Keith felt was warranted. “It’s adorable.”

He ran his fingers through Keith’s hair, blunt nails scraping against Keith’s scalp and behind his ears. Keith pushed his head further into Lance’s palm, his purrs growing louder.

“Holy crow,” Lance muttered under his breath. “This is the cutest shit I’ve ever seen.”

With a yawn, Keith tucked his face into Lance’s neck and settled in for a nap.

“Yup, that’s it. I’m dead. Here lies Lance McClain, killed by the power of his boyfriend’s cuteness.”

“Lance,” Keith mumbled, “shut up and cuddle with me.”

“Shutting up now.”

Lance snapped his fingers and the desk lamp turned off, leaving only the light of the moon and stars. The blanket folded at the foot of the bed floated up to cover them, and Keith burrowed closer.

Keith had always disliked the full moon. His transformation and feline instincts were inconvenient at best. However, as he curled up under the blanket, half laying on top of the handsome witch who had stolen his heart, Keith started to think that maybe it wasn’t so bad after all.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! (*´∇｀*)
> 
> At first I couldn’t decide what kind of witch Lance should be, but in the end I based his powers on the old TV show “Bewitched.” It felt very Halloween, plus the image of Lance wiggling his nose to do magic was too adorable to deny.
> 
> If you liked this fic, please leave me a comment/kudos/bookmark! 
> 
> Special thanks to Methoxyethane for the beautiful art, and to my beta Melissa for taking the time to edit this!
> 
> See you next time! ヾ(´▽｀*)ﾉ☆


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